


Remind me that we'll always have each other

by luna_clee



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Description of Injuries, F/M, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 08:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11158050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luna_clee/pseuds/luna_clee
Summary: Christine lost a dear friend and Leonard knows how she feels.





	Remind me that we'll always have each other

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song "Dig" by Incubus.

Christine was feeling a mess. Eyes red and puffed, she sat at a corner of her office unable to stop the tears from stubbornly falling with no stop. Today was one of those days they wish never came, but once in awhile, away missions go wrong. 

It was a simple sample collection mission in a desert planet but a rockslide quickly changed the mission status. Four people ended on medbay, between them, Dr. Greta Borg, Christine’s friend from the Academy days, the xenogeologist had her pelvis shattered by a large rock and didn’t resist the injuries, Chris was by her side when she died. 

Was in this situations that the nurse wondered why she stayed on Starfleet, when everything seemed to be, like a grumpy doctor would say, danger and disease. Chapel tried very hard to remember all the great things she saw and done, and all the good people she helped, and the times where she enjoyed the company from the woman that now lies on the ship’s morgue. She kept it together even after the captain offered her the rest of the day off to mourn her friend, Chapel politely declined, there was still a lot to do and until everybody was out of danger she would not be able to rest anyway, so she stayed, and did what she could for the ones who were still there.

Now her shift is over and the medbay is quiet, the injured are resting and the doctors work in silence, is hard for everyone to lose a fellow crewmember. Christine felt like she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears in the way to her quarters so she stayed in her office knowing no one would bother her there, so she was surprised when the door sooshed open, reveling a very tired looking Dr. McCoy.

Chapel didn’t bothered to try and stand, she merely wiped her face with the back of her hand the best she could and looked to the doctor expectantly, but he wasn’t in the mood for talking either. Leonard offered her a hand, Christine didn’t really know what that meant but the look in his eyes made her feel like she could hold on to him, and so she did. He grabbed her hand and gently helped her in to her feet, without saying a word, Leonard embraced Christine in a warm, comforting hug. The nurse tensed for a moment, the doctor was not given to displays of affection so that had to mean something. “I’m sorry for your friend, darling”, McCoy’s words were barely whispered, a wave of warmth traveled through Christine’s body as she hugged him back, holding him tight, crying even harder then before.

They stayed like that for what seemed several minutes, the nurse rested her face in the doctor’s chest, his blue shirt wet with her tears, but none of them spoke, or moved. Christine stopped crying after a while, she closed her eyes and stayed as still as she could, she was not ready to let go, not yet. Leonard felt her breath calming down as he gently stroke her hair with one hand, the other petting the small of her back. She grabbed his shirt and took a deep breath, the pain was still there but not the despair, nor the loneliness.

Was the doctor who backed down first, just enough to cup Christine’s chin in his hand and lifting it so he could look into her eyes. “Feeling better?” their foreheads touched now, his hand caressing her face, she nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact. “Leonard you don’t need to do this…” he shook his head lightly and smiled, “But I want to, I wanna take care of you, dear… I’ve been in your place, y’know”. Christine had forgot that while she was far away in the galaxy the whole Khan incident happened and Jim died, McCoy brought him back but she could tell the memory of his best friend dying still haunted him to this days, the tension in his shoulders whenever Kirk risks himself.

His eyes filled with tears and before they had the chance to fall, Christine leaned in and joined their lips in a chaste kiss, moving her hands to his neck, feeling his heartbeat in her fingers. The universe could be dark and ominous but, for now, they can hold on to each other for a sparkle of light.


End file.
